Matthew Fortin on behalf of Maine Medical Association - removing a roadblock to recovery makes sense. MMA advocates for a human centered approach that does not treat people who use drugs as criminals.
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Notes that people who participate in syringe service programs have better health outcomes and are more likely to seek recovery.
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Marshall Mercer, MERAP: substance use disorder is a public health issue, not a criminal issue. Safe supplies does not encourage drug use, but keep people alive until they are ready to seek recovery.
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Cathleen London, physician in Downeast: this approach that emphasizes punishment is just a failure. Until we move to harm reduction, we are going to see more deaths. The opposite of addiction is connection.
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Meagan Sway, ACLU: the laws criminalizing safe supplies were created 25 years ago. 25 years later we know better: criminalizing safe supplies has not made our communities safer. What does work? Harm reduction.
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Yet our laws make harm reduction practices, life saving public health measures, crimes. Criminalizing drug use is cruel. It disconnects people from their health care, families and place in the community—the very things they need to lead healthy lives.
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That's the end of the hearing. Rep. Warren notes: unanimous public support for LD 994.
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Say it with us folks: unanimous
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End of conversation
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